There are 11 ‘Gifts’ in A Plague Tale: Innocence which are found in various hidden places throughout several of the game’s levels. Unlike ‘Curiosities,’ Gifts tend to be specifically meant for, or reminiscent of, a specific character in the game’s cast.
As with all collectibles in your in-game Codex, any Gift you successfully interact with is saved to your profile on the spot. Even if you die or quit after finding a Gift, but before completing the stage it’s found in, the Gift is part of your collection for good.
Naturally, discussing the whereabouts of the Gifts requires a few mild spoilers, so don’t read this at all until you’ve cleared the game. You can always go back to any chapter you’ve reached by using the selection menu at the main title screen.
In Chapters VIII and XV, your current collection of Gifts is stored in a special display case in the central room of the Chateau.
Finding all 11 Gifts in the game gets you the Big sister trophy/achievement.
Gift Locations in A Plague Tale Innocence
1: Whistle
The moment you get control of Amicia when you arrive back at the castle in Chapter I, go into the nearby empty stable and climb the ladder.
2: Amulets and talismans
At the start of Chapter II, keep following the river past the first few buildings, and look at the end of the short dock.
3: Rosary
Before you leave the church at the start of Chapter III, go forward and turn right at the altar to find this on a table.
4: Diary of an alchemist
When you reach the orchard in Chapter IV (where Hugo runs off and hides for a second), instead of going straight through it to your destination, head off to the right a bit towards the river. You’ll find a wrecked rowboat with some reagents in it, as well as a dead guy and this book.
5: Ballastella (Jacob’s staff)
This is probably the toughest Gift of the lot to find.
In Chapter V, near the end of the stage, there’s a sequence that involves a brazier hanging from a siege engine. The way forward is to use Lucas to set the brazier swinging, then run with Hugo to a distant ledge to retrieve a handy stick.
Before you do that, however, face the ledge and look to the left. You should see a smoldering campfire with a sword sticking out of it, which is barely visible behind two short walls. You can hit it from here with an Ignifer to set it alight. While it’s easier to spot while you’re on the far ledge, it’s easier to hit the campfire from your starting position, as seen below.
Having lit the fire, head over to the ledge, hit the lamp on the other side of the wall with another Ignifer, then send Hugo through for a stick. Light it, and use it to reach the area by the campfire. There’s another bundle of sticks here so you can get back, as well as a ballastella leaning against the wall by the campfire.
6: Knucklebones
This one requires tight timing if you intend to grab it and survive. You can just do a suicide run for it, as collectible progress is directly saved to your codex rather than being tied to your level progression, but that’s messy.
Either way, in Chapter VI, Melie will have you choose a barrel full of spears as a distraction, then lead you into the soldiers’ barracks. Dodge the bottles on the ground, and then, instead of following Melie, run forward a bit and take a left out of the tent.
There are a few hidden crafting materials here, such as a valuable Tool, as well as this Gift, sitting on the edge of the table. You have a very short window here to grab any of it and get back to safety before the guard’s distraction wears off.
7: Vinegar of the four thieves
When you get through the tunnel in Chapter VII and see the Chateau for the first time, go up the stairs. Instead of going straight ahead to the gauntlet full of rats, double back to the end of the higher path and have Melie pick the lock on the closed door. This leads to a very dark storage closet with this Gift inside.
8: Alchemical crucible
After you assist Lucas with his “Great Work” in Chapter VIII, follow Hugo. When you reach the base of the stairs that lead up to the ramparts, look just to Amicia’s left to find this gift hidden by the foliage at her feet.
9: Chessboard
When you finally reach the university in Chapter IX, wait near the entrance point for the two guards on your right to walk into the alcove. You’re going to have to take them out in order to reach this gift, which is on the table that one of them starts working at.
Ideally, you can smack the guy on the left with Devorantis, and while he’s struggling with his helmet, switch out your ammo and kill the guard on the right with a rock. Finish the first guy off as he comes out of the Devorantis’s effect, then grab the gift for Lucas. (“Here, Lucas. Two men had to die for this. I hope you like it.”)
10: Reading stone
On your way out of the university with Rodric in Chapter X, once you’ve dealt with the second guy in heavy armor, check the opposite corner of the room to find this, as well as a chest full of alchemical ingredients.
11: Calamus
As you’re on approach to the de Rune estate in Chapter XI, you’ll reach a section where you have to trade off lantern detail with Lucas. Before you move on, however, check the nearby house. Its door is halfway blocked, and it’s infested with rats, but this Gift is on the desk in the back left corner.
Dealing with the rats is a tricky prospect. If you simply throw a Luminosa through the door and have done with it, you probably won’t get enough of the rats with the explosion to be able to explore safely. At best, you might be able to grab the Gift and scram before the Luminosa’s flames die out.
What you can do instead is pitch an Odoris into one of the corners of the area, such as the small fenced-in lot to the right of the door, then ignite the campfire to keep the rats at bay.
This is an inexpensive method to clear out the room and leisurely grab both the Calamus and the reagents nearby, which include two valuable Fabrics and a roll of Leather.
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There are more collectibles to find. Head over to our guides on Hugo’s Herbarium and the various historical Curiosities to finish up your collection.
If you’re still on the fence about whether or not to buy A Plague Tale, check out our review.
Published: May 11, 2019 10:19 pm